Ethics of care

The ethics of care (alternatively care ethics or EoC) is a normative ethical theory that holds that moral action centers on interpersonal relationships and care or benevolence as a virtue. EoC is one of a cluster of normative ethical theories that were developed by some feminists and environmentalists since the 1980s.^[1] While consequentialist and deontological ethical theories emphasize generalizable standards and impartiality, ethics of care emphasize the importance of response to the individual. The distinction between the general and the individual is reflected in their different moral questions: "what is just?" versus "how to respond?"^[2]^: 469 Carol Gilligan, who is considered the originator of the ethics of care, criticized the application of generalized standards as "morally problematic, since it breeds moral blindness or indifference".^[2]^: 471

Assumptions of the framework include: persons are understood to have varying degrees of dependence and interdependence; other individuals affected by the consequences of one's choices deserve consideration in proportion to their vulnerability; and situational details determine how to safeguard and promote the interests of individuals.^[3]

^ Sander-Staudt, Maureen. "Care Ethics". The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. ISSN 2161-0002. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Gilligan, Carol. "Moral Orientation and Moral Development". In Alison Bailey and Chris J. Cuomo (eds.). The Feminist Philosophy Reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008.
^ Sevenhuijsen, Selma (2003). "The Place of Care: The Relevance of the Feminist Ethic of Care for Social Policy". Feminist Theory. 4 (2): 179–197. doi:10.1177/14647001030042006. ISSN 1464-7001.

[Sander-Staudt-IEP-1] Sander-Staudt, Maureen. "Care Ethics". The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. ISSN 2161-0002. Retrieved June 4, 2022.

[Gilligan2008-2] Gilligan, Carol. "Moral Orientation and Moral Development". In Alison Bailey and Chris J. Cuomo (eds.). The Feminist Philosophy Reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

[3] Sevenhuijsen, Selma (2003). "The Place of Care: The Relevance of the Feminist Ethic of Care for Social Policy". Feminist Theory. 4 (2): 179–197. doi:10.1177/14647001030042006. ISSN 1464-7001.

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